


But You Said

by TabithaJean



Category: The X-Files
Genre: 70s style parenting, BARBIES, Fluff, neighbourhood kids, rope swing, sunday afternoons
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-05
Updated: 2020-10-05
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:21:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26835850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TabithaJean/pseuds/TabithaJean
Summary: Fictober day 3 from the Flufftober prompts: 'But You Said.'Fox and Samantha are playing with their respective friends on a Sunday afternoon when Fox needs to stand up for his little sister.
Relationships: Fox Mulder/Samantha Mulder
Comments: 1
Kudos: 6





	But You Said

Bark clung to his skin like freckles as he ascended the vast tree trunk. He had almost reached the desired branch when a shriek made him freeze.

‘Fox!’ It was his sister. He could see her marching furiously across the street, her braids bouncing like cheerleaders. ‘Fo-ox! Where are you?’

Steven Peters shrugged below. Fox looked wistfully at the rope next to him – Steven’s dad had just checked the rope swing earlier that afternoon – and it was finally his turn. He dropped to the ground, wincing as his feet smarted against solid ground.

‘What do you want?’ He asked, disdain dripping from his voice. Her skinny neck craned as she looked up at him.

‘Bobby keeps trying to kick dirt at our barbies,’ Samantha said angrily. ‘And some of it got into Helen’s eyes and made her cry. Can you make him go away please?’

Fox looked behind her to see her little friend sitting on the curb with her head in her hands. A taller boy stood warily nearby, watching Samantha and Fox. He sighed. Glasses clinked like windchimes from the Peters’ garden nearby. The crescendo of laughter told him that his parents would be lenient with their curfew this afternoon, so he could probably squeeze in another turn on the rope swing. But still. He had waited and waited for his turn now and wasn’t about to lose it to his little sister and her barbies.

‘Can’t you go and play somewhere else?’

‘ _No_ Fox! Helen isn’t allowed to leave her front yard while her mom and dad are with Mr and Mrs Peters.’

‘Well, then they won’t even know.’

Samantha’s eyes narrowed and she pushed her bottom lip out. ‘But you _said_ , Fox. You said you would help if I needed you.’

‘ _I_ said that?’ Fox furrowed his eyebrows sceptically. The guys were waiting, their patience expiring as quickly as the descent from the swing.

‘Yes! On my first day at school!’ Fox shook his head. Of _course_ Samantha had remembered his throwaway comment. Small details on big days are her thing. She remembered the colour of the security guard’s belt the day their father lost them in the market. She remembered the white cat across the street when Grandma died, even though she was only two. She rubbed her left eye ferociously, exorcising any developing tears. His firecracker sister hated to cry, and so he decided to help.

‘Ok.’ She gave a wide, gap-toothed grin. He glanced to his friends. ‘Give me one minute?’

They nodded, and Samantha skipped ahead of him. ‘Heleeeen!! He’s coming!’

The other boy stepped back as they approached, his mouth slackening. Fox stood at his full height, enjoying the way his shadow landed on the boy’s face. At almost twelve years old, he stands at least five inches taller than his classmates.

‘Hey,’ he said in a low voice. ‘Can you leave them alone? They just want to play with their dolls.’

The boy made a split-second decision to square up to him, chin jutting defiantly. ‘Who’s going to make me?’

Fox inclined his head, as if considering the question. ‘Well right now, no one. But if you keep going, I’m going to have to come back. I’ll bring some of my friends, too. See them over there?’

The boy peered around Fox, his neck rippling as he gulped at the sight of the other six-graders.

‘So…. We’re in agreement? You’ll leave them alone?’ The boy nodded. Fox nodded too. ‘Good. Now I want you to walk away back to your own street.’

Fox, Samantha and Helen were silent as the boy turned and walked away slowly. Once he had turned out of the street, Fox looked at Samantha.

‘That’s the last favour for you today, squirt,’ he said. She nodded, her cheeks pink. She hugged her barbie to her chest tightly, her lips pressed in a proud smile.

He started jogging towards the guys, who had waited for him.

‘See? I _told_ you he would come if we needed him!’ Samantha hissed loudly. Fox grinned the same pursed smile he had seen on Samantha a moment before, warmed by her pride in him as he started to climb the tree once more.


End file.
